At Lord’s Day Masses this weekend, we will host Fr. Gary Wiesmann, a priest from the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica as part of the 2018 Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP). Fr. Weismann will share a bit about the mission work in the diocese, and below is a preview in his own words:

“Jamaica is one of the poorest countries in our hemisphere, followed only by Haiti, and Mandeville is the poorest of the three dioceses in Jamaica. Our diocese would simply not exist without the support of the MCP. Evangelization, our top priority, is difficult because almost all of our people are illiterate and lack the basic necessities of life.

“In the spirit of Pope Francis, we reach out in ways that we can, providing food, clothing, and shelter. This care and shelter includes a home for 75 destitute and elderly people, most of whom have been discarded by family, and an orphanage providing a stable home for 40 abandoned and abused and some autistic children. Thousands in our diocese exist in shacks with living conditions worse than imaginable so we help build humble homes for the poorest of the poor families.

“In a country where AIDS sufferers are ostracized, we provide emotional, medical, and spiritual care for people with HIV/AIDS. We operate five clinics in the isolated bush areas for people too far away or too poor to otherwise receive medical care. We are proud to have primary schools and two high schools to help youth to break the cycle of poverty through literacy and education. We are very grateful for MCP and your support of the past few years!”

Please be generous to the people of the Mandeville diocese in this weekend’s second collection. Checks can be made payable to “The Missionary Cooperation Plan,” with “Mandeville, Jamaica” in the memo line.